WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health regulators today authorized the first pill against COVID-19, a Pfizer drug that Americans will be able to take at home to head off the worst effects of the virus. The drug, Paxlovid, is a faster, cheaper way to treat early COVID-19 infections, though initial supplies will be extremely limited. Pfizer says it’s on track to produce 80 million courses globally next year, under contracts with the U.K., Australia and other nations. But with roughly 40 million American adults still unvaccinated, effective drugs will be critical to blunting the current and future waves of infection. Also, laboratory testing suggests the two leading antibody drugs used in the U.S. aren’t effective against omicron.

Source: Libya Today December 23, 2021 05:35 UTC